Nuclear Scholars InitiativeClass of 2018

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Keriann “Austin” DeLorme
Keriann “Austin” DeLorme is a captain in the United States Air Force. She serves as a scientist and acquisition professional with the primary role of developing the science and technology landscape to ensure future critical capabilities for national security. Austin’s assignments have included the nuclear treaty monitoring mission at the Air Force Technical Application Center, space technology development at the Air Force Research Laboratory, and NC3 assessments lead for the Air Force Nuclear Red Team. Currently, she works for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency doing early stage research and technology development investment in support of the mission to combat nuclear, chemical and biological threats. Austin has an M.S. in Nuclear Physics from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and an M.B.A. in Marketing Research from Liberty University. In her free time, Austin loves to read, run, hike, ski, and spend time with her four-legged best friends, Jarvis and Jericho.

Carl Eichert
Carl Eichert grew up in Columbia, MD and commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant through the Air Force ROTC program at Clemson University, SC with a B.S. in Physics. He was then sent to the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH and graduated with an M.S. in Nuclear Engineering. After graduation, he was assigned to the Air Force Technical Applications Center at Patrick AFB, FL. Lt Eichert has held several technical positions at AFTAC including a radiochemistry and detection analyst to characterize and validate laboratory-produced and real-world samples and a program and technical lead for nuclear-related rapid engineering prototypes to pursue development of new NTNF capabilities. He is currently a Special Nuclear Events Analyst at AFTAC where he monitors nuclear treaty compliance and performs research and development for advanced proliferation monitoring technologies. Aside from his professional ambitions, Lt Eichert is a world championship qualifying triathlete at every distance competition.

Jessica Gott
Major Jessica Gott, United States Air Force, is a Strategy Staff Officer stationed at the Pentagon in the Headquarters Air Force A4 Weapons Sustainment Division. Her responsibilities include integrating Agile Combat Support, strategy and governance activities and developing wargame scenarios to maximize Air Force logistics combat readiness. Among her previous assignments she served as the US Embassy Islamabad Security Assistance program manager where she transferred $144 billion worth of weaponry to the Pakistan military. She also served as the 603d Air and Space Operations Center Force Allocation Chief where she supported the U.S. led air campaign to impose the UN no-fly zone over Libya. Jessica holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Baylor University, a Master’s in Public Health degree from American Military University and is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Foreign Service at Georgetown University, concentrating in Security issues in South Asia and Nuclear Weapons.

Oscar Guerrero
Oscar Guerrero is a Systems Engineer with Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation with 12 years of experience in the development, fielding, and sustainment of communications systems for tactical forces as well as enduring and survivable communications networks for DOD senior leadership on airborne Command and Control assets. He has supported various efforts for DOD customers, DARPA, and partnered with NASA Dryden Flight Research Center as well as Johnston Space Center for the development of experimental communications payloads. Lastly, he has supported the development of software for modeling and simulation for Ballistic Missile Defense efforts for the Missile Defense Agency. Mr. Guerrero earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a B.A. in History of War, Revolution and Society from the University of California, San Diego.

Zachary Hadfield
Maj Zachary Hadfield graduated West Point in 2003 with a degree in physics and was commissioned as an armor officer. He spent eight years in various armor and cavalry units and did two deployments to Iraq. In 2011, he was recruited by the Army FA52 (Nuclear and Counter-proliferation) branch. He went to graduate school for nuclear physics and graduated in 2013. Next, he went to the 20th CBRNE Command where he served on a Nuclear Disablement Team for three years, applying his education and gaining a deep understanding of the nuclear fuel cycle and the proliferation challenges it presents. He is currently working at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency as a research officer in the Nuclear Surety Branch.

William Hallisey
William Hallisey is a graduate of Georgetown University where he studied Government and Economics, participating in the Potomac Foundation’s European Policy Summit and nuclear war games in Italy. Prior to his work in economics for the federal government, he worked on nuclear policy research and analysis for the International Relations Field Chair of Georgetown University, studying the role of comparative advantage in nuclear armaments in diplomacy, game theory, arsenal modernization, and NATO restructuring. His previous experiences as part of a successful startup, and in scientific research and policy have also lead to a deep focus on the role of technology and innovation in nuclear negotiations.

Michael Hamel
Michael Hamel is a Senior Nuclear Engineer in the Global Monitoring and Verification Research and Development Department at Sandia National Laboratories. There he applies his expertise in radiation detection techniques to find solutions for challenges within the nuclear arms-control field and the broader non-proliferation mission. Michael also has a background in public policy, which contributes to an understanding of current issues in non-proliferation and helps to inform decisions concerning technical research and development. He began his current position in 2017 and has contributed to projects involving applied radiation detection and arms-control initiatives. Prior to joining Sandia, Michael completed his PhD in Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences at the University of Michigan. His research there focused on the development of a radiation imaging system to detect special nuclear material. Michael has also earned his B.S.E. and M.S.E in Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences from the University of Michigan as well as a Certificate of Graduate Studies in Science, Technology, and Public Policy from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.

Brandon Heimer
Brandon Heimer is a senior member of technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories where he has been a member of the Systems Research and Analysis group since 2015. Brandon has a range of experience in risk analysis including the development of probabilistic Bayesian inference models for nonproliferation applications. He has also contributed to numerous strategic analyses including studying the impact of disruptive technologies on global security. His research team was recognized for its work studying potential strategic implications arising from the intersection of evolving information security and role of nuclear weapons in U.S. national security policy. Brandon holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and an Sc.D. from MIT where he also studied strategic management at the Sloan School.

Dr. Elmar Hellendoorn
Dr. Elmar Hellendoorn is specialized in the development of Transatlantic nuclear relations and the nexus between economics and national security. Currently, he is a post-doctoral research fellow in the International Security Program/Project on Managing the Atom of the Belfer Center at the Harvard Kennedy School. Previously, he was an Eisenhower Research Fellow at the NATO Defence College in Rome, a lecturer at Utrecht University, where Elmar also wrote his Ph.D dissertation on the struggle for European nuclear order and the origins of the NPT, 1954-1967. He is a member of the Wilson Center’s Nuclear Proliferation International History Project and the French New Generation Network for Nuclear Strategy. Apart from his work on nuclear affairs, Elmar Hellendoorn also advises the Netherlands government, developing a more integral approach to national security. Before embarking upon his academic career, he worked as a senior policy officer in the Netherlands’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ policy planning unit.

Ari Kattan
Ari Kattan is a Policy Analyst at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) where he supports the Defense Science Board. Previously he worked as a global security analyst at the World Bank and as the program assistant for the Nuclear Security Working Group at George Washington University. He received his undergraduate degree in International Relations from the University of California, San Diego, and his masters in International Science and Technology Policy from George Washington University.

Marie Kirkegaard
Marie Kirkegaard is a DHS Nuclear Forensics Graduate Fellow and Ph.D. candidate at the Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Her research at ORNL focuses on advancing nuclear forensics capabilities by studying the chemistry of uranium compounds relevant to the nuclear fuel cycle. Prior to moving to Tennessee, she earned a BS in chemical physics from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California.

Jennifer Knox
Jennifer Knox conducts policy analysis as a Research Assistant for Global Zero. Her writing has appeared in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, RUSI, and the Huffington Post. She recently completed her Master of Philosophy in International Relations at the University of Oxford, where she earned a distinction for her thesis on nuclear-weapons-free zones, proliferation in the Middle East and multilateral security agreements. She received her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Classical Studies from Cornell College.

Ryan Kuhns
Ryan Kuhns is a Program Analyst in Defense Programs at the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). He came to the NNSA after completing Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s NNSA Graduate Fellowship Program. He has worked as a Research Associate with the Millennium Project and PAXsims and has published work with the Center for International Maritime Security (CIMSEC), The Strategy Bridge, IndraStra, and others. Ryan received a BA in Political Science and has an MA in Diplomacy and International Commerce, with a focus in International Security and Commerce. Ryan’s broad research interests are in defense economics, international relations, and wargaming. He has a particular interest in how technology and resource limitations shape strategy.

Jill Maloney
Jill Maloney is a National Nuclear Security Administration Graduate Fellow in the Office of Cost Estimating and Program Evaluation. She recently graduated from the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy with a Masters in International Security and Economic Policy. She also has a Bachelors in Political Science and International Affairs from the University of Georgia. Jill’s experience in nonproliferation comes from an academic fellowship with the Center for International Trade and Security, an internship at Idaho National Laboratory, and a graduate assistantship with the Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland. She also spent time at U.S. Pacific Command and CSIS Pacific Forum as a Young Leader and research fellow. She is a Robertson Foundation for Government Fellow and previously played soccer internationally as a goalkeeper of the Republic of Ireland’s National Team.

Anthony Mascaro
Anthony Mascaro is a B-2 Stealth Bomber Pilot and the Flight Commander of Weapons and Tactics for the 393rd Bomb Squadron at Whiteman AFB, MO. Captain Mascaro graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a minor in Chinese Language. His senior thesis on building strategic trust in the US-China relationship was published by the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress in the summer of 2010. After graduating, he attended Pilot Training at Columbus AFB, MS. Following pilot training, he served as a B-52 Aircraft Commander and Instructor Pilot in the 96th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale AFB, LA. Capt Mascaro transitioned to the B-2 in July 2016, and was a distinguished graduate of B-2 Initial Training. As a B-2 Pilot, Capt Mascaro provides nuclear and conventional long-range strike capability for US combatant commanders. He has over 1,300 flying hours, including 100 hours in the B-2 and over 1100 hours in the B-52.

John Maslin
John Maslin was born and raised in Parker, Colorado. He attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a dual-emphasis in Finance and Accounting. Prior to graduation, John worked on Wall Street at a private equity firm, Matrix Advisors, on their Principal Investments team. After graduating, John attended Officer Candidate School and commissioned into the Navy as a Supply Corps Officer. John is now stationed in Washington, D.C. where he works on the Congressional Affairs and Budget team at Naval Reactors. Naval Reactors is a joint Department of Navy and Department of Energy agency that provides militarily effective nuclear propulsion plants aboard nuclear-powered warships and ensures their safe, reliable, and long-lived operation.

Chris McGuire
Chris McGuire is a Foreign Affairs Officer at the U.S. Department of State, in the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance, where he has served since 2015. He focuses on multilateral arms control policy, and his portfolio includes arms control-related matters at the United Nations, the Conference on Disarmament, and the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification. In this capacity, he was involved in developing and implementing the U.S. response to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. He has also served as a Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford, where his portfolio included all WMD issues. He holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a Bachelor of Arts from Pomona College.

Marissa Moore
Marissa Moore is a Program Analyst with the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Office of Nuclear Verification (ONV). Her work focuses on treaty implementation and monitoring activities and support to ONV’s Warhead Verification Program. Before joining ONV, she was a NNSA Graduate Fellow in the Office of Nonproliferation and Arms Control. Marissa holds a M.A. in International Security Studies from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University as well as a M.A. in French from Middlebury College. She earned her B.A. in Government and Legal Studies from Bowdoin College.

Benjamin W. Petry
First Lieutenant Benjamin W. Petry is the 393d AMU AOIC for 509th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 509th Bomb Wing, Whitman AFB, Missouri. As AMU AOIC, he leads 500 Airmen in the production efforts of 20 B-2s to execute daily training sorties, test and evaluation missions, deployments, and nuclear deterrence generations. Lieutenant Petry entered the Air Force after receiving his commissioning through Reserve Officer Training Corps through Purdue University. He then received a master’s degree from Purdue University before arriving at his first duty location, Whiteman AFB, in May 2015 where he has served in several positions. Additionally, he deployed in 2017 in support of the Bomber Assurance and Deterrence Mission to Anderson AFB, Guam.

Andrew Reddie
Andrew Reddie is a Ph.D. candidate in the Charles and Louise Travers Department of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley. His dissertation examines the design and effect of military cooperation agreements. He is also involved in various projects engaging with nascent technology and international security concerning nuclear technology, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. He currently serves as a researcher for the Nuclear Policy Working Group, Complexity Science and Nuclear Security Group, Department of Nuclear Engineering, and Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. He is also an affiliated researcher at the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity at the UC Berkeley Information School and the Nuclear Science and Security Consortium. He holds an MPhil in International Relations from Oxford University as well as an M.A. and a B.A. (hons.) from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to attending UC Berkeley, he served as Managing Editor at the Canadian International Council and as an Associate at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, DC.

Jennifer Rogers
Jennifer Rogers is a Senior System Architect at Northrop Grumman. Her areas of expertise are in Guidance, Navigation & Control and Model Based Systems Engineering. Before joining Northrop Grumman in 2007, Jennifer was a Research Associate at the Institute for Defense Analysis as well as a Research Analyst at Logos Technologies in Arlington, VA. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and a Masters of Science in applied mathematics, both from the University of Florida.

William Sheehan
William Sheehan is currently a special assistant to Jim McDonnell, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction. In this position, William supports Assistant Secretary McDonnell in implementing his strategic vision for preventing nuclear, biological, and chemical terrorism. William recently graduated from the Master of Arts in Asian Studies Program at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where he focused his studies on the transnational movement of illicit goods. Additionally, he has worked as a Japanese teacher and as a teaching assistant for Dr. Victor Cha and has completed internships with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Department of State, and the U.S. House of Representatives.

Maggie Tennis
Maggie Tennis works at The Brookings Institution, where her research in support of Distinguished Fellow Strobe Talbott focuses on Europe, Russia, post-Soviet politics, and transatlantic governance. Prior to joining Brookings, she was a Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellow at the Arms Control Association. At ACA, she worked on policy and advocacy efforts related to the US nuclear security agenda and Russian nuclear force policy and modernization. Previously, she was a Senior Analyst at T. Rowe Price, an asset management company in Baltimore, MD. Maggie graduated from Brown University in 2015, magna cum laude and phi beta kappa. At Brown, she was awarded the Pembroke Center Undergraduate Fellowship to conduct honors thesis research on Russian Information Warfare tactics in Ukraine.

Cameron Tracy
Cameron Tracy is an affiliate at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) and a postdoctoral research fellow at its Department of Geological Sciences. His policy research focuses on strategies for the multilateral reduction of nuclear and chemical weapons stockpiles, as well as the safety and security of geologic repositories for nuclear waste. In parallel, he studies the fundamental chemistry, long-term stability, and forensic analysis of nuclear materials, on which he has co-authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications. He received a Ph.D in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2015, and a B.S. from the University of California, Davis in 2011. Cameron previously worked as a nuclear security postdoctoral fellow at CISAC and a research assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Andrew Treiman
Andrew Treiman is the Chief of Nuclear Training supporting B-2 operations at Whiteman AFB, MO. Major Treiman graduated from the University of North Dakota in 2007 and received his commission through ROTC. He earned his Master of Military Science from American Military University in 2015. After completing Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile Initial Qualification Training in 2008 he was assigned to Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, where he served as a Missile Combat Crew Member, Instructor, and Chief of Scheduling. He was assigned to the 90th Operations Support Squadron at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, in 2012 serving in various assignments culminating as the Deputy Assistant Operations Officer for Plans and Scheduling. In 2016 he was hand-picked as the first Nuclear and Missile Operations Officer assigned to the 509th Operations Support Squadron working with stealth bombers. Major Treiman has over 189 nuclear alerts with the Minuteman III.

Cristina Varriale
Cristina Varriale is a Research Analyst with RUSI’s Proliferation and Nuclear Policy Team. Her research interests include extended nuclear deterrence, East Asia and disarmament diplomacy. Prior to joining RUSI, she worked in nuclear policy and research with the International Centre for Security Analysis (ICSA) and the British American Security Information Council (BASIC). Cristina holds an MA in Non-proliferation and International Security from King’s College London. She has also been a contributor at IHS Jane’s, and regularly contributes to media discussions, including with the BBC and Sky News.

Alexander Velez-Green
Alexander Velez-Green is a Research Associate with the Defense Strategies and Assessments Program at the Center for a New American Security. He specializes in defense, deterrence, and escalation management issues. His latest research examines the role of emerging technologies in Russian military doctrine. He is also involved in an effort to better understand how autonomous systems and artificial intelligence might affect strategic stability. Mr. Velez-Green is the author of The Unsettling View from Moscow: Russia’s Strategic Debate on a Doctrine of Preemption. He has also co-authored several CNAS reports on the future of warfare. Mr. Velez-Green has presented his research at U.S. Strategic Command, the Royal United Services Institute in London, Sandia National Laboratories, and other venues. His analysis has appeared in Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Defense One, The National Interest, National Review, Small Wars Journal, War on the Rocks, and other outlets. Mr. Velez-Green graduated cum laude from Harvard College.

Rachel Webb
Rachel Webb is a Policy Analyst for SAIC, supporting Headquarters Air Force’s Directorate for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration. Her work focuses on strategic messaging, Congressional affairs, and nuclear command, control and communications. She previously worked as a Policy Coordinator for AECOM, supporting the Department of the Navy’s Declassification Program. She holds Master’s in Terrorism and Security Studies from American University, where she focused on the law of armed conflict. She has previously worked in the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs and the Marine Corps History Division. Rachel also earned Bachelors’ in both History and Political Science from Virginia Tech. She speaks Arabic and Italian.

Margaret Williams
Margaret Williams is a second-year MA student with Stanford University’s International Policy Studies program where she focuses on nuclear weapons policy and planning. She also currently works as a research assistant for Dr. Scott D. Sagan and consults with the Nuclear Threat Initiative in Washington, D.C. Prior to enrolling at Stanford, Margaret served as a legislative aide for Senator Angus S. King (I-ME) advising on defense and foreign policy. She is a former Fulbright Scholar and received her BA in International Affairs and Russian Language from Lewis & Clark College. Having grown up in mid-coast Maine, in her free time Margaret enjoys running, hiking, swimming, and exploring the outdoors.